How we use cookies

Torfaen County Borough Council uses cookies to personalise user experience on the website, and to track how our site is being used. Here you can find out more about how we use them.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small, harmless files placed on your computer’s hard drive or in your browser memory when you visit a website

What do cookies do?

Cookies help to make the interaction between users and websites faster and easier. What cookies don't do is store any personal or confidential information about you.

Are cookies safe?

Yes, cookies are harmless text files. They can’t look into your computer or read any personal information or other material on your hard drive. Cookies can’t carry viruses or install anything harmful on your computer.

Why should I keep cookies switched on?

We advise you to keep cookies active during your visits to our website because parts of the site rely on them to work properly. 

Types of cookie we use

Like most large websites, Torfaen County Borough Council uses session cookies and persistent cookies. Neither session cookies nor persistent cookies collect any personally identifiable information.

Session cookies

We use session cookies, which last only for the duration of your visit (your 'session') and are deleted when you close your browser. These simply enable us to identify that the same person is moving from page to page.

Persistent cookies

We also use certain cookies that are persistent, meaning that they last beyond your session. Persistent cookies help our website remember you as a user each time you use the same computer to revisit us.

Cookies currently used

This website uses cookies in several places – we’ve listed each of them below along with more details about why we use them and how long they will last.

User Preferences

These cookies are set by the user. They typically include when you are asked to make a choice such as "remind me later". These type of cookies are used to remember your choice.

Cookies that are set by the user
Cookie namePurposeExpiry
redirect1 or redirect2 To remember English or Welsh Language choice for future visits 30 days after the user has chosen their preference from the intro page
t -1 Stored in Local Storage, never deleted
UKTORFAEN_subscribe_overlay 1 (Set when you choose "No Thanks" on the Gov Delivery popup) Stored in Local Storage, never deleted
UKTORFAEN_subscribe_overlay Timestamp number (Set when you choose "Remind me Later" on the Gov Delivery popup) Stored in Local Storage, updated based on users choice after 30 days

Council Advertising Network

The adverts on our website are provided by the Council Advertising Network. View the Council Advertising Network Privacy Policy for information on what data they collect and how to opt-out.

Get Involved (Consultation Software)

https://getinvolved.torfaen.gov.uk uses essential cookies in some places – we've listed each of them explicitly in a table below with more details about why we use them and how long they will last.

These essential cookies are used for site navigation and session management, and this service may not function correctly without them. They are used only to help you navigate through the site and to view and fill in consultations.

Get Involved (Consultation Software) Cookies
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

_engagementhq_v3 Engagement HQ  

These cookies are necessary for enabling the core functionality of the site. The website cannot function properly without these cookies

2 day(s) 

ehq_last_visit  

Engagement HQ allows us to recognise the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it  

2 years 

_ehq_uid  

Engagement 

HQ allow us to count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it  

2 years 

gat_gtag_UA_2679674_22 

Google Universal Analytics For targeted advertising  

Session 

_ehq_session_id  

Engagement HQ helps us to analyse user behaviour, mainly to see if the users are able to find and act on things that they are looking for. They allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it  

Session 

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics cookies to collect information about how visitors use this site and when issues are encountered (such as broken links). Google analytics stores information about what pages you visit, how long you were on the site, how you got here and what you click on. We do not store your personal information so this information cannot be used to identify who you are. We do not allow Google to use or share our data.

We use Google Analytics to make sure our website is meeting our users’ needs and to help prioritise improvements. Google provides more details on the  Google privacy and cookie policy  page. Google also provides a  browser add-on  which allows you to opt out of Google Analytics across all websites.

Google Analytics Cookies
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

_gid

to store and count pageviews

1 day

_ga

to store and count pageviews

2 years

_gat

to read and filter requests from bots

1 minute

__utmb

to store time of visit

End of session

__utma

to store the calculation of days and time to purchase

Persistent

_utmc

to store time of visit

30 minutes

_utmz

to store used keyword and search engine

6 months

__utmt

to store number of service requests

10 minutes

Google Ads

Google Ads Cookies
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

__Secure-3PSIDCC 

 

Used by for targeting purposes to build a profile of the website visitor's interests in order to show relevant & personalised Google advertising 

2 years 

__Secure-3PSIDCC 

 

Used by for targeting purposes to build a profile of the website visitor's interests in order to show relevant and personalised Google advertising 

2 years 

__Secure-3PSID 

 

Used by for targeting purposes to build a profile of the website visitor's interests in order to show relevant and personalised Google advertising 

2 years 

__Secure-3PSIDCC 

 

Used by for targeting purposes to build a profile of the website visitor's interests in order to show relevant and personalised Google advertising 

1 year 

SID 

 

Google uses security cookies to authenticate users, prevent fraudulent use of login credentials, and protect user data from unauthorized parties. 

2 years 

SAPISID 

These cookies are used by Google to display personalized advertisements on Google sites, based on recent searches and previous interactions. 

2 years 

HSID 

Contains encrypted entries of your Google account and the last login time to protect against attacks and data theft from form entries. 

2 years 

SAPISID 

These cookies are used by Google to display personalized advertisements on Google sites, based on recent searches and previous interactions. 

2 years 

SIDCC 

This cookie carries out information about how the end user uses the website and any advertising that the end user may have seen before visiting the said website 

1 year 

__Secure-1PAPISID 

 

Used by for targeting purposes to build a profile of the website visitor's interests in order to show relevant and personalised Google advertising 

2 years 

SAPISID 

These cookies are used by Google to display personalized advertisements on Google sites, based on recent searches and previous interactions. 

2 years 

__Secure-3PAPISID 

 

Used by for targeting purposes to build a profile of the website visitor's interests in order to show relevant and personalised Google advertising 

2 years 

SSID 

These cookies are used by Google to display personalized advertisements on Google sites, based on recent searches and previous interactions., SSID, APISID and SAPISID cookies  

2 years 

APISID 

These cookies are used by Google to display personalized advertisements on Google sites, based on recent searches and previous interactions., 

2 years 

__Secure-3PSID 

Used by for targeting purposes to build a profile of the website visitor's interests in order to show relevant and personalised Google advertising 

2 years 

__Secure-1PSIDCC 

 

Cookie required to use website options and services 

1 year 

OGPC 

Google ads optimisation 

At least one session 

Cookie Bar

Quantcast

Quantcast Cookies
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

__qca

to store and track audience reach

5 years

Criteo

Criteo Cookies
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

Cto_bundle

to provide functions across pages

13 months

Others

Cookie Bar Cookies
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

addtl_consent

Additional consent

1 month

_pbjs_userid_consent_data

this cookie is used to know if the user's consent choices have changed since the last page load

1 month

euconsent-v2

stores User advertising tracking preferences

13 months

Library Catalogue

Cookies used by the Library Catalogue
Cookie namePurpose Expiry

JSESSIONID

Providing core application functionality to the end user. This session cookie falls into the exception section of the directive

End of session

cookieconsent_status

Used to determine if the informational cookie bar has been dismissed

End of session

ReciteMe (web accessibility) Toolbar 

Cookies used in the ReciteMe (web accessibility) Toolbar
NamePurposeExpires

Recite.Persist

Allows the toolbar to remain on the screen across the site until closed

Clears when browser completely exits

Recite_Session

Validates the user when requesting to run the toolbar from the host. No personal data is transferred

End of the session

Request/Report It Forms

Cookies used on the Request/Report It Forms
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

ORA_WWV_APP_1030

This cookie is used to store current application ID

48 hours after end of last session

Online Mapping System

Cookies used on the Online Mapping System
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

JSESSIONID

Does not store any personal information. Allows the app to run

End of session

Civica E-Pay

Cookies used on Civica E-Pay
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

BIGipServerPOOL_A4

A necessary cookie that manages the server load for the site

End of session

__RequestVerificationToken

Anti-forgery cookie designed to stop unauthorised posting of content to our website.

End of session

ASP.NET_SessionId

Preserves your session state across page requests.

End of session

Planning & Building Control Public Access Service

Cookies used on the Planning & Building Control Public Access Service
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

WSLang-TCB001

Saves the language of the page

Never

JSESSIONID

Does not store any personal information. Allows the app to run

End of session

Chat Bot

Cookies used on the Chat Bot
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

wbb-user-api

Maintains user sessions so that when a user closes the tab and comes back, the bot remembers and they don't have to start the conversation over again

One week

CAN Digital

Cookies used by CAN Digital
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

_gat_CANTracker

Used to throttle request rate. This is a third party cookie used for advertising.

1 minute

Dewis Cymru

Cookies used on by Dewis Cymru
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

ASP.NET_SessionId

Preserves your session state across page requests.

End of session

analytics

shows if user has accepted the cookies

3 months

Modern Gov

Cookies used on Modern Gov
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

ASP.NET_SessionId

Preserves your session state across page requests.

End of session

Citizen Portal

Cookies used on the Citizen Portal
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

6C4FF4B1EC6F6017E0530F01A8C0FBAA

Allows the app to function

1 day

CookiesPolicyDismiss

sets cookie based on whether cookie message has been dismissed

1 year

Gov Delivery

Cookies used by Gov Delivery
Cookie namePurposeExpiry

_trunk_session

Session cookie required to use the app

End of session

Turning cookies on or off

You have a number of options when it comes to receiving cookies. You can set your browser either to reject all cookies, to allow only ‘trusted’ sites to send them, or to accept only those cookies from websites you are currently using.

We recommend that you don’t block all cookies because parts of our website rely on them to work properly.

To find out how to turn cookies on and off in your browser, select your browser below:

To learn more about cookies and how to manage them, visit www.aboutcookies.org

Last Modified: 15/08/2022 Back to top